IFA president Francie Gorman managed to get a chuckle out of the otherwise sombre crowd attending the launch of the new water quality campaign, while making an important point to the scores of academics and industry hotshots.

The Laois man explained that if he had been asked what a PIP was a few weeks ago, he would have responded with “personal insolvency practitioner”.

Gorman clarified that in the realm of water quality, a PIP refers to pollution impact potential map which shows the nutrients a farm is most likely to lose to water. But how many outside of that room know what PIPs are or how to use them to improve water quality on their farm?